Chapter Text
"In the year 10191 AG, two key events occurred: the marriage between Feyd Rautha Harkonnen of House Harkonnen and the widowed Lady Margot Fenring of House Fenring, and the death of Shaddam IV Corrino, Padishah Emperor of the known universe.
The times that followed were devastating. Instability and a dark age descended upon the empire. Empress Irulan Corrino, Shaddam's firstborn, was crowned, but the great houses, noting House Corrino's fragility, set their sights on her throne.
She didn't last more than a couple of months in power when my mother realized it was only a matter of time before someone would be bold enough to attempt an attack on her. She asked the Benne Gesserif for help, but they were of no help either; it seemed they already had their potential champions and were willing to adapt to any outcome.
That's when the Empress decided to abandon her pride and use her logic: Now all that was left was to find a scenario where she and her house wouldn't be horribly exterminated.
The strongest houses that could compete for the throne were two: House Atreides and House Harkonnen. One had the support of the Lansraad, and the other an incredible fortune.
Many in that desperate situation would have given up and let themselves die in the darkness, but my mother wouldn't allow it. She didn't give up... and the house that never refuses a call extended its hand to her."
Excerpt from "The Rebirth of the Empire" by Anirul II Corrino, Duchess Corrino of Kaitain and imperial historian.
YEAR 10191 A.G.
The sky was crumbling. Raindrops fell, wetting everything in their path. The air almost seemed to howl as it parted through the tall trees and boulders in the distance. The tide was restless, and the air was thick with petrichor. The enormous circular ship opened in the middle of the night. It was an unannounced guest, a ship that arrived at Caladan in the middle of the night without noise or commotion.
Duke Leto Atreides and his lady, Jessica of the Atreides, were dressed in covert but simple clothing, for this was not an official visit: it was a clandestine meeting. Through the light of the ship, a woman covered in a white veil emerged, walking quickly, seeking shelter from the weather.
"Your Majesty," the duke said solemnly, bowing his head, showing his respect to the woman. The woman, as soon as she could, removed her veil, revealing a woman with beautiful golden hair.
"Duke Atreides," she said, returning the greeting. "I thank you for agreeing to meet with me."
"It is an honor that you came to us, Your Grace." Irulan remained silent, thoughtful, before nodding. The three entered the interior of Caladan Castle. A massive fortress, marked by time, but still strong and majestic. Behind the Empress, only her ladies and a pair of guards followed. The only ones she had allowed herself to trust. Inside, the advisors and men of House Atreides waited, as this meeting was sure to be serious.
The Duke knew he was playing with fire, but he knew that one way or another they would end up in the eye of the storm, so they would take it head-on.
Inside the palace, in the council chamber, everyone gathered. Irulan entered the room and sat down slowly, again considering what she was about to do.
There will be no turning back after this, Irulan.
"Would you like some tea?" the duke said politely, trying to hide his tension.
"No, I'd like to get straight to the point, if you don't mind," he said slowly. The duke nodded for her to continue and remained silent, distractedly looking at the ducal ring on his finger. "It is no secret that my reign is walking on very thin ice; very soon, my head will roll if I don't do something." Jessica remained silent, noticing the surrender and resignation on Irulan's face.
"Do you wish us to support you, Your Majesty?" Jessica said, speaking for the first time all evening. Irulan looked at her and smiled sarcastically before lowering her gaze.
"No... my reign has no solid foundation," she said with a resignation that made everyone look at her in confusion.
"I don't understand your intentions, Your Grace." The duke looked at her again.
"A marriage would be pointless. Everyone has implicitly decided that the reign of House Corrino has come to an end, one way or another, my house will fall... that's why I decided to at least look for the best possible scenario and come up with a radical solution." Everyone looked at her attentively. "My only closest male relative is you and your son, Paul." Jessica's eyes widened, unable to hide her surprise, for the fact that she had brought up the subject was a sign.
"You can't be suggesting what I think you're suggesting..." the Benne Gesserif said seriously. The Empress lifted her chin proudly and murmured with a determined look.
"I want to abdicate the throne, I want to hand it over to House Atreides. If it's already a given that someone will take the throne, then I want to ensure my survival, and it's clear that the Harkonnens won't want to let me live even if I no longer have any power." Leto looked at her in disbelief.
"Are you crazy?! We can't just take the throne!" he said angrily. "My son, only 15, is sleeping now, my wife is pregnant. I can't just throw House Atreides straight into the fire."
"It's the only way the empire won't descend into chaos. If the Harkonnens take the throne, you will follow after my house. I will hand you over to the Sardaukar, as well as our fortune. I only ask that you let me live in peace, as a low-ranking noble."
"You're giving up too easily."
"No. I'm just a realist. As Empress of this empire, I must ensure the political stability of this empire, and the reality is that we are on the brink of anarchy, chaos throughout the empire, everyone fighting for power, killing millions in the process. I have no way to resist. No matter who I marry, everyone is waiting for the right moment to kill me. No one wants to make alliances... why would they want a little power when they could take it all? It's clear that no one wants me on the throne; they don't fear me or respect me.
"But giving us the throne puts us in danger!"
"It's the smartest option, Leto," Jessica said, cutting everything off. She had called him by name on purpose to cut him off.
"What are you talking about? Have you lost your mind too?"
"My duke... I'm afraid you're not seeing the bigger picture. Our empress has been raised in Benne Gesserif doctrine, just as I have... You must trust that if she's surrendering, it's because she won't be able to hold the throne for long, and that's not because of the great houses, but because of the Benne Gesserif themselves and the Spacing Guild." The duke frowned.
"I've always been somewhat wary of the Benne Gesserif... but what you've just inferred is that your sisterhood controls the politics of the empire from the shadows." Irulan interrupted him.
"They do. Since the beginning of the empire, the sisterhood has had its finger in everything. I'm afraid they've always been the true power... and if I feel it's the most sensible thing to give up the crown now, it's because they can easily eliminate me without a second thought... but not your son." Jessica tensed and pursed her lips. Leto noticed the change in his wife, which made him begin to realize that this situation was getting murkier than he'd thought.
"You two had better be clear."
"The Benne Gesserif has been carrying out a Eugenics program since the end of the Butlerian Jihad... at first, we believed it was necessary to ensure that such a tragedy wouldn't be repeated... but then we realized that no matter how much we controlled the bloodlines, there were always results we couldn't predict... that we needed something more." Jessica looked at Irulan, who decided to continue what she had said.
"We sought to procreate a being powerful enough to bridge the gap between space and time... Kwizats Haderach. That being was predetermined to be born to House Harkonnen after the feminine child your lady was supposed to bear married Feyd Rautha... but she decided to give you a son, advancing the appearance of Kwizats Haderach by a generation."
"We wanted someone who could see all possible paths... and could guide us all to the best. There are several prospects; Paul is one, and Feyd Rautha is another," Jessica finally said, lowering her gaze. Leto remained silent.
Part of him didn't want to believe it, but it also explained a number of things, including his son's many peculiarities and how he was the only known male to be indoctrinated in the Benne Gesserif school. The man sighed, seeming to age a couple more years, and said,
"Since you changed their plans, they don't know what to expect... so they can't just kill one until they're sure they're not killing their precious chosen one, because that would throw away 10,000 years of genetic calculations." Jessica and Irulan were surprised by how quickly the man seemed to catch on, proving once again what a formidable strategist he was.
"They had already planned the fall of my house... I hadn't realized it until now. Now, as Empress, I can't do much because they are already preparing to make their champions fight and adapt to whoever remains standing... They fear your son, because the Atreides have always been known for being untamable... You are my closest male blood relatives, the throne is legitimately yours, you have the support of the Lansraad, and you are useful to the brotherhood... You have a better chance than I of remaining on your feet... because right now, everyone is ready for your claim or that of the Harkonnens."
"You will give me your crown, your army, and your fortune to finance this claim... what will you gain from all this?"
"My life and that of my sisters. None of them are married, so I must ensure the safety of all. If you remain on the throne, I have a better chance of you letting me live in peace and dignity in exile." The two looked at each other with solemn eyes before Leto looked at his advisors and said,
"Very well... let's get to work, because an Imperial House doesn't build itself."
"When my mother made the official announcement that she would abdicate the throne and crown the Atreides duchy, the entire empire burst into flames like dried leaves. That was when the war known as "The Dance of the Griffin and the Falcon" began. The newlywed Baron Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen had just emerged victorious in his own struggle for the succession to his barony, and now with total power, he didn't hesitate to muster his armies and declare his challenge to the newly crowned Emperor Leto I, heir to the Red Falcon throne and Padishah Emperor of the Known Universe."
"The war was devastating, thousands dead, noble houses reduced to ashes. An 8-year war. When Feyd-Rautha cut off the flow of spice, he hoped this would make the great houses bow their heads to him, but he underestimated the pride of the nobles, who, alarmed by this event that nearly brought the entire empire to a standstill, saw in Feyd-Rautha an impulsive ruler who, with all the power in his hands, would have everything under his control, becoming an inconvenient option for their business and internal politics. It was then that everyone supported Leto Atreides and his claim to the throne, which resulted in House Harkonnen being reduced to almost ashes."
"But tragedy struck House Atreides when, during the siege of Giedi Prime, Emperor Leto I was killed in a confrontation with Feyd-Rautha himself, forcing Paul Atreides, then only 22 years old, to finish his father's work and inherit the throne."
"On the famous "Night of Atonement," a year later, a 23-year-old Emperor Paul Atreides marched to Giedi Prime and exacted revenge. He didn't take Feyd-Rautha's life... he didn't think it was enough of a punishment... but instead took his rival's only daughter as a war trophy and took her from him."
"Thus, the Harkonnens would never forget that punishment: Feyd-Rautha was castrated, and Nix Harkonnen, his young 6-year-old daughter, was taken by Paul as his wife. Thus, she would be his hostage for the rest of her life. Her father had been taken from her, and in revenge, he had taken all of Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen's offspring."
YEAR 10199 A.G
Paul stared silently at the horizon. It still smelled of blood, sulfur, and smoke. He walked through the remains of what had once been Barony, the seat of House Harkonnen on Giedi Prime. He looked around, seeing the bodies of his men and the few remaining members of Feyd-Rautha.
When he reached the ship waiting for him, everyone stared at him in astonishment at what he was carrying in his arms. A little girl. Small, dressed in simple, stained clothes. She looked pale and weak. He didn't want to lower his gaze to the ground or he would regret it, so he continued walking and boarded the ship.
His mother was there, now dressed in her Benne Gesserif robes. She looked at him and showed a hint of surprise for a moment before looking at him, searching for an explanation.
"Who is that girl, Paul?" The young man remained silent. He sat down and closed his eyes in silence, still holding the unconscious girl. "Paul."
"She's Nix Harkonnen... the only daughter of Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen and his wife, Lady Margot Harkonnen." His tone surprised the woman. He said it as if it explained why he was carrying the infant in his arms.
"You'd better explain what's going on, son."
"I'll marry her." Jessica paled.
"WHAT?!
"Only then can I control the Harkonnen line. I'm not going to kill a child for her father's sins; she'll be like a hostage." She will be my bride by name, and we will keep her isolated on Caladan."
"That sounds cruel."
"I'm being reasonable... I'm taking the last heir of the House Harkonnen... there's no greater revenge than taking a ruler's only heir."
"You're taking a child as a war trophy, Paul."
"It's only fair. Feyd-Rautha had no respect for even my father's remains. Why should I let him keep his offspring?"
"Your father didn't believe in revenge."
"I do."
In the year 10199 AG, Nix Harkonen was given as a bride to Paul Atreides. At the age of 6, she would become the youngest empress in the history of our empire. There was no marriage more unique than this. The challenges they had to overcome made them the greatest emperors in the history of the empire, who ushered in the golden age of our civilization.
A golden age that was built in the intimacy of the sheets of White Satin.
White Satin Nights.